


Kihunters

by Planet_Bryyo



Category: Metroid Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 20:10:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18924196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Planet_Bryyo/pseuds/Planet_Bryyo
Summary: A short insight into the lives of the Space Pirates' aerial allies, the Kihunters.





	Kihunters

This newcomer on duty was the first that N-689 had seen in a while. She thought it only reasonable to introduce herself.

"Are you freshly hatched?"

The younger Kihunter buzzed her wings, somewhat equivalent to a nod of the head.

"Which litter?"

"I am B-1111 of litter Z1-35," she responded robotically. It was one of many things that had been drilled into her head as a larva, back when she couldn't talk. Having pupated and hatched out as an adult, she was now capable of interacting with the others in her colony- and more importantly, with the universal translator wrapped around her torso, she could communicate with the other Pirates in the Zebesian army. It was hard enough learning to speak in the whistles and wing-vibrations of her own kind, but learning to attune her native speech with the translator added another layer to it. All she knew was that she would be punished if she didn't use it.

"Do you know how many more there are in your batch?"

"There were sixty-seven at time of hatching, and fifty-nine survived until pupation. I am the first to emerge."

"Figures. I hadn't seen many other newcomers around here."

The older Kihunter was clearly of a different batch. Her carapace was dark red, not at all like the vivid, shiny emerald of the youngster. She was scarred here and there, missing a couple of claws on her feet and half of her right arm, but she made up for her weaknesses in experience. She was still useful in the Pirates' eyes.

"Please tell me your iden... tification, if you could, please?"

It was a bit awkward, but B-1111 was getting the hang of it.

"I am N-689. I've been stationed in Brinstar for over a month now."

"Which litter did you come from?"

"Z1-2. My litter hatched a very long time ago. Some years, perhaps. One of the first litters born on Zebes."

B-1111 buzzed her wings again and began to survey the environment. She seemed quite enthusiastic about her task- bobbing her head up and down, constantly turning one way then the next, eyes skimming over all ends of the cavern-

"Focus, B-1111. If you're that jittery you're never going to spot anything."

"My apologies, N-689. I am new to this task."

"I can tell."

B-1111 slowed down. After a moment, N-689 saw her wings go flat against her back, tensed at the base- the Kihunter equivalent of a frown.

"N-689, have you ever worked in Tourian?"

"No Kihunters have ever worked in Tourian. Why do you ask?"

"I... Nothing."

N-689 flattened her own wings, unconvinced.

"Is this going to be related to some nonsense rumour the Zebesians are spreading about us?"

B-1111 tensed automatically, and crouched like a cat ready to pounce. She didn't mean to incite aggression, but it was still a bit hard to get away from her basic reflexes.

"I was just curious. You are clearly of a different stock to my own."

"We come from Norfair. Our ancestors from across the stars lived in volcanic heat, thus we are best suited to working in it. I just had to be moved for a short while in response to a threat."

"Your ancestors were different? So you have a different King?"

This question was unexpected. N-689 cocked her head.

"We only have one King, the Mother. She is King of all Zebesians and Kihunters here. Did you not know that?"

"I... I don't understand. That doesn't make sense. How can a King give birth to both Fire-kin and Jungle-kin?"

"Our King did not give birth to any of us."

"But is that not what Kings do?"

N-689 raised her wings in a threat display. "Who has been telling you these things, youngster?"

"I saw it on a Zebesian computer!" B-1111 ducked into the nearest patch of foliage, displacing a few smaller bugs as she did. "I saw it in my dreams. They took me to the laboratories- as a pupa, with all the others- so they could give me my translator when I awoke!"

"You... Saw it in a dream? What nonsense is-"

"Not a dream, exactly. I was waking. Sleeping and waking and sleeping again, over and over. My hatching time was near. I heard what they said and I saw it through my shell, though I was not fully awake. But it was real! They said a Kihunter King is a giant of our kind, wingless, and she births the others of the colony. That is why we defend her to our deaths."

N-689 scuttled forward, clacking her beak in rhythm. It was Kihunter-speech- innately known by their kind, but illegal on Zebes due to the translators. B-1111 knew exactly what she was saying. _Stop, danger, lie._

"I do not like the implications of your words, B-1111." N-689 hissed through the translator. "I do not like this suggestion that the Mother Brain doesn't deserve to be treated as a King."

"My apologies, N-689. I did not meant to suggest such a thing- I would defend our King to the death. That much is innate within me. But I... I am confused."

"Confused with what? The Mother Brain is our King, the mother to whom we owe our births and lives. The mother who raised us to greatness. The urge to protect our King is in our very DNA, and if it is not in yours, you are a faulty product of our kind." N-689 clacked her beak again, saying a single word unique to the Kihunter language. _One who does not desire dedication to their King. Outcast and fault._

"But what if the Mother Brain was not our true King? I heard them saying- saying horrible things. How they had taken our King away. How the true King was destroyed, and we are not born from her eggs. They said that we are created without eggs, and that we are just copies of one another. That it does not truly matter if we survive because they will make more."

"Born from eggs or not, we are Kihunters and we owe ourselves to the Mother Brain! It does not matter if we survive, so long as she does. Many larvae shall die and we do not have the time to mourn them. Many adults will die, and we must move on quickly. Our priority is the King's will."

"But- but what if we are- what if we are en- en- enacting the will of the wrong King? Does it not scare you? The idea that our King may actually be dead?"

N-689 did not admit to the chill that ran through her wings at the mere thought. The idea was so disturbing that she could not even entertain it. Before B-1111 could dodge, N-689 brought a hefty clawed foot down on her neck, pinning her to the floor. "So you admit to being a colony traitor, do you? You admit that you have no love for our King?"

B-1111 paused, trying to find some escape, but no amount of wriggling got her out of the bulkier elder's hold. She finally gave in (and admittedly, N-689 was somewhat impressed by her determination).

"I... apologise, N-689. Forgive my moment of doubt. I was confused... And perhaps mourning for a King I-" The claws tightened around her neck. "A- a- a false King of my imagination. The Mother Brain is my King and I will defend her to my death, I promise."

Finally, N-689 let her go.

"Do not have those doubts again, youngster. Those who do not serve the King and colony are outcasts, and Zebes has no room for outcasts. Do you understand?"

B-1111 buzzed her wings once more, and spent the rest of her shift in total silence.


End file.
